Jones County delays decision on State Place Cemetery after resident plea to churches

At its June 16, 2026 meeting, the Jones County Board of Commissioners postponed further action on State Place Cemetery to the board's first meeting in August after extended public comment and discussion about historic graves, maintenance and appropriate transfer mechanisms.

Mr. Green, who addressed the board during the public-comment portion, urged local churches and organizations to assume ownership and care of the burial ground, highlighting the site's history and the community stakes. "I think we discovered that there are more than 300 people in the cemetery," he said, stressing the difficulty small congregations and shrinking memberships face in maintaining graves and access. He warned that a private sale could put that history at risk.

Board members discussed options for transferring stewardship, including issuing a request for proposals (RFP) to allow a coalition of churches or nonprofit groups to manage the site. County staff cautioned that disposal of county land is typically governed by procurement rules that often require bids or auction formats and said they would research whether exceptions or tailored contract language could allow the county to require perpetual maintenance, prohibit development and preserve public access.

The board voted to postpone consideration until August to allow outreach to local faith groups and to give staff time to provide legal and procurement options. A commissioner said the delay would give churches and community members "an opportunity to talk" and return with proposals. The motion to postpone was seconded and carried.

Next steps: staff will examine procurement options and precedents, and the board expects to revisit the item in August with additional community input and draft contract/restriction language. No formal sale or transfer occurred at the June 16 meeting.